Asians Around Appalachia: Mahnoor Jafri

Mahnoor Jafri is a Pakistani-American high school senior from Morgantown, West Virginia. She participates in karate and tutors other students. As a hobby, Jafri enjoys drawing and animating.

Interview

1. Have you ever felt out of place due to your identity? If so, where did you find a sense of community?

Even as a native-born West Virginian, there was never really a true sense of belonging for me. However, after a certain point, I gave up trying to fit in my culture and customs with other people. Once I entered high school, I found my sense of community through joining clubs like Model UN and Mappalachia club, where I found other like-minded individuals who accepted me for who I was.

2. Can you tell us about one of your stories related to being an AppalAsian? (e.g. household traditions, bullying/harassment, family business, etc.) 

One day when I was a freshman in high school, I was sitting with my Taiwanese friend when this guy (a friend of a friend) came up to us and started spewing some edgy racist humor. Now, as a hijabi teenager living in Appalachia, I’m kind of a veteran to this sort of humor. To be honest, I wasn’t even that mad about the fact that we were being racially harassed, I was just somewhat pissed that his idea of harassing my Taiwanese friend was calling her a “calculator” while I was being called a bomber and a terrorist. It always humored me that I would get all the Arab stereotypes just because I wear a hijab. Then again, I don’t expect those who racially harass people to be very smart lol.

3. What is one Appalachian / Asian American related policy issue that’s important to you and why? (e.g. lack of representation, barriers to education/healthcare, economic inequality, etc.)

One AppalAsian related policy issue that is important to me is food insecurity. Due to the vast distances and rugged topography that is present in Appalachia,  it is in quite difficult to access fresh produce and poultry in many parts of the region. Combined with the scarcity Asian ingredients, this puts AppalAsians at a higher risk for food insecurity, which can be exacerbated by a language barrier and lack of health education.

4. What is one piece of advice you would give to AppalAsians struggling to fit in?

One piece of advice I would give to fellow AppalAsians struggling to fit in is: Be your own representation. You don’t have to conform to the ugly, racist box that your peers may put you in. Work hard. Serve your community. Unfortunately, many of the harassment you face comes from a faulty schema of what an “Asian” person is like. Re-define it. Be the first person you want people to think of when hearing the word “Asian”